


Snow Week and Family

by Artymys



Series: Still He Didn't Cry [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Derek, Alpha Derek Hale, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bad Friend Scott, Bad Friend Scott McCall (Teen Wolf), Beta Peter, Beta Peter Hale, Derek Hale Deserves Nice Things, Established Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Fluff and Angst, Hurt Stiles, M/M, Magic Stiles, Mpreg, Nemeton, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega Stiles, Omega Stiles Stilinski, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Nogitsune Stiles Stilinski, Protective Derek, Protective Derek Hale, Protective Erica Reyes, Protective Pack, Protective Peter, Protective Peter Hale, Scott McCall (Teen Wolf) Being an Asshole, Scott McCall is a Bad Friend, Spark Stiles, Werewolf Stiles Stilinski, Wolf Stiles Stilinski, werewolf Stiles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:21:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27580612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artymys/pseuds/Artymys
Summary: A glimpse into what happened when Stiles finally found his pack, his home and his family. And what happens when that pack of over protective wolves finally rain karma down onto an unsuspecting Scott McCall.Part 2 of 'Still He Didn't Cry' verse  (If you haven't read part 1, you won't be able to follow this installment fully)
Relationships: Derek Hale & Stiles Stilinski, Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Peter Hale/Melissa McCall, Vernon Boyd & Isaac Lahey & Erica Reyes, Vernon Boyd/Isaac Lahey/Erica Reyes
Series: Still He Didn't Cry [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2142987
Comments: 52
Kudos: 502





	Snow Week and Family

**Author's Note:**

> This is Part 2 to 'Still He Didn't Cry' (If you haven't read Still He Didn't Cry, you might not fully follow this fic)
> 
> So many people asked in the comments of SHDC for a second part that it got my juices flowing. It took a couple of days, but here it is! Please feel free to let me know what you think about it. And I hope you enjoy!

Crawling out of bed would have been nothing, if it weren’t for the fact that Stiles was trying to make sure he didn’t wake Derek up; which, in and of itself, was nearly an impossible feat. Especially given how protective and possessive Derek had gotten the further into his pregnancy Stiles got. Not that Stiles was complaining, at all; waking up surrounded by his mate and the sounds of the pack filtering in around them was something that he had never dreamed would happen. But it was something that Stiles was starting to figure out how to do; he knew that so long as he didn’t go where Derek couldn’t still feel his presence, he would be able to slowly work his way out of the bed without waking his protective Alpha. And, of course, Derek knew that if he woke and Stiles wasn’t in bed, there was a high likelihood that he was on the balcony. 

That was where he was at the moment; Derek’s large shirt draped over him, hiding the slight swell of his four months baby bump, and sweats that used to hang off his hips hidden by the large fluffy blanket that Derek had gotten him for christmas last year all working to keep the bitter cold of the approaching winter at bay. If Stiles closed his eyes and took a deep breath, he was sure he could smell snow on it’s way; and he couldn’t wait. The first year that Stiles was with the pack for the winter holidays, Derek and the pack had been sure to make it memorable and so full of love and support that Stiles knew they were there for him. Charlie, one of the older pack members, even made it a point to start a new tradition for everyone in the pack.

When the first snowfall of the year fell, they would all gather outside at dusk and watch the sun set. When the sun finally disappeared beneath the horizon they would light a candle for each person that they had lost in their life and share stories about them that made them all smile. In the five years since Stiles found Derek and his pack, it had become one of his favorite traditions. As the years went by, the tradition had grown to include spending the week after the first snowfall playing outside constantly, making fresh snow candy and celebrating the family they had created. Stiles found each year it was getting easier and easier to remember his father, especially around the holidays, and he attributed that to the support and love Derek and his pack offered. 

Resting his hand on the swell of his stomach, Stiles hummed a bit. He had no doubt that this year would be harder, this would be Derek and his first little one and his dad’s first grandchild, and he wouldn’t be there to hold and spoil them. He knew that the pack would do everything possible to make sure that their little one knew everything possible about their grandpa while they made up for his lack of physical presence by spoiling the crap out of them. By surrounding them with so much love they would never feel alone. 

Stiles jolted a bit when Derek slid his arms around his waist, hands brushing along the growing bump and tugged Stiles gently until he was laying back against Derek’s chest. “You must have been deep in thought if you didn’t even hear me coming out here.” Derek’s voice was soft as he brushed his cheek against Stiles’ temple, wrapping them both in their mixed scents. Stiles let out the faintest of chuckles and turned his head, tipping it back some, to seek out Derek’s lips in a soft kiss. “I was thinking about dad, missing him. And about snow, I can smell it coming. We’ll have to make sure we have the syrup ready.” 

Derek let out a soft humming sound as he listened, holding Stiles to him as he swayed them slowly back and forth. “I’m sure Charlie and Ella have already made sure that there are several pots of syrup ready to be boiled. We just need enough snow to make the candy.” Leaning his head down, Derek pressed a kiss to Stiles’ exposed shoulder; even with his baby bump the shoulders of the shirt were still too large and they often fell to the side and hung off of his shoulder. 

“Your father would be proud of you, you know?” He whispered softly as they watched the sun finish cresting over the horizon. He knew that Stiles still had moments where he missed his father so much that it almost physically hurt; Stiles would always miss his father, but Derek knew from experience that some days would be harder than others. Derek just wanted, needed, to make sure that Stiles knew he was there for him no matter what. 

“Sometimes I don’t think he would be. Instead of facing my problems in Beacon Hills, I ran away.” Stiles’ voice was soft, he was letting Derek hold all his weight as he snuggled into him. “You didn’t run away, Stiles. You removed yourself from a toxic situation and you found your way home. To us. That’s not running away, that’s realizing you deserve to be happy and loved.” Stiles was quiet as he listened to Derek speak, letting his words wash over him as they watched the world around them slowly start to come to life. 

“Do you really think that he’d be proud of me?” Stiles chewed on his bottom lip, his voice was so small that it betrayed just how worried about it he was. “Love, I have no doubt in the world that he would be so proud of you that he’d be screaming it from the mountain tops.” The small smile that Derek was rewarded with for his words settled Derek’s own wolf; even just something small being off with his mate caused Derek’s wolf to feel unease until he was able to set it to rights.

“Come on, let’s get you and this little one some breakfast.” Derek grumbled softly, allowing the vibrations to rumble through Stiles’ chest and earning him a soft laugh as it tickled the other man. “If I didn’t know any better I’d think you were just trying to fatten me up.” Stiles teased him with a roll of his eyes even as Derek steered them off the balcony. “Never. I’m providing for my mate and our pup.” 

\---------------------------------------

“I was thinking, what if we invited Melissa down for Snow Week this year? I know it would be short notice, but she’s been working really hard lately and we haven’t seen her in a while. The last time she visited was over a year ago. Talking on the phone and video chat is great with the distance, but I’d love it if we could get her out here…”  
  
Derek could tell from the way that Stiles was rambling that he had been thinking about this for some time, but that he was scared that the others wouldn’t want to share Snow Week with an outsider. Hoping to soothe Stiles’ worries, Derek tucked him in against his side while they ate breakfast. “I think that’s a great idea. Why don’t you give her a call after breakfast; let her know she’s more than welcome to stay here at the house again, if she wants, or we could have one of the cottages on the property ready for her as well.” 

“You really don’t mind? Even if it’s really short notice?” Stiles asked as he looked up at Derek with big, almost pleading, eyes. “Of course I don’t mind, love. She’s your family.” Seeing the way Stiles lit up whenever he was happy was something Derek loved. “You give her a call while I clean up here.” Derek pressed a kiss to Stiles’ temple before he was getting up and taking their plates over to the sink to clean up and give Stiles space. 

Chewing on his lip, Stiles pulled out his cellphone and decided to call for a video chat; he wasn’t sure if she was awake yet, considering she had been doing night shifts lately but he wanted to see her smiling face. He even did a happy little dance when she picked up, mid-coffee sip. 

“Melissa! I didn’t call too early, did I?” 

**_“Don’t you dare apologize, Stiles. I’m already on my second cup of coffee.”_ ** **_  
_ ** “Alright, alright. How are you doing?”  
**_“I’m doing good, honey, how are you doing? That nausea finally go away for good?”_ ** **_  
_ ** Stiles let out a groan and nodded. “Yes, thankfully. This little one is finally allowing me to keep food down, so long as it’s nothing too greasy. It makes my curly-fry habit a bit of a tough situation though.”  
Melissa chuckled while she nodded in sympathy. **_“I remember those days. Don’t worry, I’m sure that craving will come back with a vengeance soon enough. The cravings make up for the nausea in the beginning.”_ **

“I sure hope so. I’m sure Derek is getting sick of my moping around because curly fries make me want to puke.”  
**_“I highly doubt that. I’m sure if you asked him nicely he’d be willing to find a way to make you curly fries that don’t require excessive grease.”_ ** **_  
_ ** “Hmm, maybe. Anyway, I didn’t call to moan about greasy foods. What are you doing for like...the next week or so?”  
Melissa’s head tilted to the side once she put her coffee cup down. **_“The next week or longer? Working. Why?”_ ** **_  
_ ** “Well, you know how we have Snow Week here at the pack house every year with the first snowfall of the season?” Stiles waited until he saw her nod before he continued. “Well, the snow is due any day now and I was hoping you’d want to come visit and stay for Snow Week? We can set you up at the house, if you want. Or we can even get one of the cabins set up if you want your own privacy while you’re here? You never get to take vacations, what with how hard you’re always working, and you deserve one. We can even cover your flights, if you’re worried about cost. I miss you, so it’s partially selfish. Plus I know the rest of the pack misses you too.”  
  
Stiles had to stop in order to drag in a breath, he hadn’t realized just how long he had been rambling until he completely ran out of air; earning him a _LOOK_ from Derek that told him he should probably slow down so he didn’t pass out from lack of oxygen. Melissa laughed softly and spoke up while she had the chance to. 

**_“I’ll talk to the staff at the hospital and see if they’re willing to swap some things around with me and grant me the time off. The earliest I could possibly come out is in two days, do you think the snow will hold off for that long?”_ ** **_  
_ ** Stiles hummed and looked out the window, taking a breath and he just knew. “I think so. I have a feeling it’ll wait until you’re here.”  
**_“Alright. I’ll talk to the hospital and then I’ll get in touch with Derek about flights, does that work?”_ **Melissa’s voice raised enough that it was an indicator that she was asking Derek as well, so the taller man walked over to stand behind Stiles with a smile. “Sure thing, Melissa. I’ll look into what they have available and we can talk times before I buy the tickets for you.” 

**_“Sounds great, boys.”_ ** She let out a sigh before wrinkling her nose as she looked at her watch. **_“Alright, I should probably get ready to run errands while I have the time. You boys both behave. Love you!”_ **

Stiles snorted and shook his head. “I make no promises of such things. Love you!” While Derek just rolled his eyes. “I’ll keep him out of trouble.” 

When the call ended, Stiles practically squealed in delight as he spun in his chair and all but launched himself into Derek’s arms. “Thank you.” He whispered against his lips, between kisses; causing Derek himself to chuckle once more. “For you, the world.” 

\---------------------------------------

Two days later, and almost the entire pack there to greet her, Melissa was getting settled into the cabin next to the pack house while Stiles shooed everyone else out of the kitchen so he could make a big late breakfast. They had all gotten up ridiculously early to pick Melissa up and the majority of them had been too excited to eat; though Derek had insisted that Stiles have a granola bar on the ride to the airport. 

“What can I do to help?” Derek asked as he leaned back against the counter nearby, watching Stiles as he moved around the kitchen. “Well, I was thinking of making french toast, so if you could cut the bread into slices I’d love you forever?” Stiles asked as he offered Derek a big smile, earning a snort from the other man while he moved to grab the bread. “You’ll love me forever, regardless. But I’ll happily slice up bread for you.” Stiles chuckled and stopped what he was doing for a moment to pull Derek into a hug. “You’re right. You are amazing and you love me and I’m the luckiest man in the world to call you mine. I’ll definitely love you forever no matter what.”  
  
With one more quick kiss, Stiles went back to work; a big breakfast wasn’t an uncommon thing at the pack house. In a short amount of time the table was laden with french toast stuffed with cream cheese and various berries, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, ham, hash browns, homefries and just about every variety of fruit and yogurt that they had in the house. They were just setting the last serving plate of food on the table when Melissa came in, surrounded by the rest of the pack. In Melissa’s arms were two of the littler pups in the pack while the others all clamoured around her for her attention; Stiles could help the fond smile when he saw just how happy and relaxed she looked. 

“Alright, enough climbing on Aunty Missy. It’s time for breakfast.” Stiles said with a clap of his hands to get everyone’s attention; the pups all made various noises of disappointment before they were sitting down. A few of the older ones argued over who got to sit next to Melissa before the adults shooed them off to watch cartoons while they ate in the family room. **_“There’s so much.”_ ** Melissa said with a chuckle, watching as Stiles handed her a plate to fill before he would let any of the others dive into it. “Mhmm, and it’ll all be gone before these heathens are done with it.” He teased the pack with a grin, earning a huff from Erica before she stuck her tongue out at her; the action echoed by several other pack members as well. 

Derek made sure Melissa had what she wanted before he was filling a plate for him and Stiles to share; then he nodded and the rest of the pack descended on the food. Many different choruses of thank you rising up from everyone. Melissa looked around the table before frowning a bit. **_“Is Peter off helping another pack again?”_ ** She asked between bites, looking at Derek. “He said something about meeting with another pack last week but that he’d be back tonight or tomorrow. He decided to be his usual Peter self and not further explain beforehand, so I’m sure I’ll get a nice detailed report once he’s back.” Stiles grinned at Melissa. “Don’t worry, he wouldn’t dream of missing a visit from you.” 

Melissa blushed but did her best to try and hide it behind taking a big sip of her coffee; meanwhile Derek poked Stiles in the side. “Don’t tease them.” He ‘scolded’ Stiles, wrapping his arm around him and pulling him closer when Stiles scooted further away at the poking. “You know I’m joking, Melissa. I’m so happy that you two found happiness. I’m just sad you’re both so far from each other; long distance relationships aren’t exactly easy.” Melissa smiled but shrugged her shoulder a bit at Stiles’ words. **_“No, but we both knew that when we decided to give this another try. I can’t leave Beacon Hills yet and I wouldn’t ask him to leave his family either. We’re figuring it out as we go.”_ **

Stiles nodded and let his head fall to Derek’s shoulder, his hand settling on the faint swell of his stomach once he couldn’t eat another bite. “I know. We just all want to see you both happy. Whatever that means for you both.”  
  
Melissa reached out and squeezed Stiles’ other hand. **_“I know, honey. And that’s what I love most about you. You always want to see everyone you care about happy. It’s one of your best traits.”_ ** Derek smiled and tucked Stiles closer. “One of your many wonderful traits.” Stiles blushed but his only real response was to shrug his shoulder. He still occasionally had a hard time believing that he deserved the amount of love and support that he received, but he was getting better at accepting it without trying to poke holes in it with questions.

\--------------------------------------

Peter came back while Melissa and Stiles were outside getting the final touches done for Snow Week, setting up all the things needed to make snow candy as well as snow cones and setting up the wooden floor planks they had made for bases on snow forts for snowball fights. Derek was watching them through the window in his office when Peter joined him, smiling when he saw the two outside. “If that isn’t a sight for sore eyes.” He said in a faint hum as they both stood there watching for a few more moments. With a sigh, Derek turned to lead the way back over to his desk, flopping back into the chair while Peter lowered himself more gracefully into the chair opposite him. “So, are you going to tell me what it is you had to leave for a week for or am I better off not knowing?” Derek asked with a raised brow at his uncle. 

Peter laughed a bit as he leaned back, crossing a leg as he reclined into a more comfortable position. **_“I’ll have you know, I didn’t do anything illegal and I didn’t lay a finger on anyone.”_ ** Derek gave Peter a skeptical look but didn’t speak, waiting instead for the man to elaborate for him. 

**_“It’s true, dear nephew. I simply made a quick trip to Beacon Hills to set a few things to rights.”_ ** Peter held up a hand to stall anything Derek may have been getting ready to say. **_“Just, wait. You can ask questions once I’m done, I promise. Now, like I said, I didn’t touch a single hair on anyone’s head. Not for lack of want, I assure you, but I had a feeling that Red would have frowned upon that and the last thing I want to do is upset a pregnant Omega; especially your pregnant Omega.”_ **

Peter grinned as he continued speaking. **_“So, I decided to think about all the ways I could destroy someone without touching them; and I’ll have you know that it was actually easier than I thought it might be. You see, young Mr. McCall still doesn’t have a clue how to be an alpha to an actual pack. All I had to do to cause the majority of his pack to find a new pack to join was tell them the truth about who their alpha was. How he used his position to abandon an Omega that had already been through hell; an Omega that had saved his ass more than a few times. I also informed them of how he was the type to abandon someone who he had considered a brother because his body was used to kill someone their alpha cared about; because said brother was possessed while trying to find a way to save three people they all cared about, one of which being their alpha’s own mother. Honestly, I didn’t even get to the good parts before they were all asking if I knew of any packs that were willing to accept wolves from another territory. Helping them all find new packs was what took the longest. I did offer Malia a place with us, should she decide that’s what she wants; she apparently had already ripped into Scott when she first found out that Stiles was missing. Which she had to find out through the deputies, as Scott had literally ordered her not to contact or see Stiles ever again. And I mean ripped, she was rather proud of the fact that she had actually left a scar on the young man.”_ **

The smirk that pulled at Peter’s features turned just a little bit darker as he continued speaking. **_“Once that was done, the rest basically fell into place. The only people Scott had in Beacon Hills, that actually cared about him, were his pack and his mother. Lydia had apparently had enough of Scott and moved not long before I showed up, so that bow tied itself. I’m not going to even try to get Scott and his mother, however, I don’t have a death wish anymore, but other than Melissa, Scott has no one. Even Deaton was in the process of leaving. Which reminds me, I spoke with him at length about why and found something rather interesting out. Did you know that it was possible for the magic of the Nemeton to disappear? Not go dormant, but to actually disappear from the tree itself? I asked Deaton when he discovered this and you can imagine my surprise when the date he mentioned coincided with the disappearance of our resident Red. I asked Deaton if it was possible for a spark to claim that magic and he said that the only way possible would be if the Nemeton gifted it to them. He said it’s only happened once before as far back as he knew about. I guess he can update that to twice that it’s happened that he knows about.”_ **

Peter stretched his back as he let Derek process before finishing his update to Derek. **_“So, not only does Scott no longer have a pack or access to any kind of earth magic, I also reached out to any of the surrounding packs and put them on all of their black lists. Should he ever need help, he’s going to have to go a long way to find someone other than Melissa willing to do so.”_ **

Derek blinked as he processed everything that Peter was telling him; deciding to file away the bit about the spark for a later date, it was something he would have to talk to Stiles about anyway. “I’m sure this is going to sound disingenuous but I’m truly proud of you. I’m not sure I would have been able to go there and not lay a hand on him.” Peter shook his head. **_“It wouldn’t have been enough. I wanted him to feel some semblance of what it was he made Red feel. I wanted him to feel isolated and cut off from every single support that I could cut him off from. I want him to have to go begging for help only to be denied what he needs.”_ ** Derek nodded as he thought it all over. “You’re right, that’s better. This will have longer lasting effects.” Derek was quiet for a few more moments before he looked up at Peter. “Thank you, Peter. Honestly.” Peter nodded slowly before he was unfolding himself and rising from the chair. **_“Stiles is pack, family. I will not let anyone cause any kind of harm to our family again. Now, if you don’t have any other questions, the woman I love happens to be right outside and I’d like to go spend as much time as I can with her.”_ **

Derek chuckled softly as he rose from his chair as well, leading the way out of the office so that they could both join the pair outside. “Now that sounds like a plan.” 

\---------------------------------------

True to Stiles’ prediction, the snow waited until that afternoon to start falling; and it was that perfect type of snow. The big flakes, falling steadily, without any rain or slush mixed into it. It was the type of snow that you expect to find when you’re walking through a winter wonderland. By the time the whole pack was gathering outside with their candles, waiting for the sun to set, there was already a couple of good inches of snow. It was Stiles’ favorite kind of snow. 

“It’s almost time.” Stiles said when he felt Derek come up behind him, waiting until Derek put down his own candles before he was turning and tucking himself into Derek’s chest. “I brought out the pictures to add to the altar as well. I found one of mom and dad together when I was going through some of the things in the basement. I think they’d love this.” Tipping his head back, Stiles smiled an almost sad smile up at Derek. “I wish they could be here with us.” When Derek leaned down and pressed a kiss to Stiles’ forehead, Stiles closed his eyes and let out a soft breath. “That’s why we honour them, love. We use our memories of them to bring them here with us.” Derek’s words were quiet as he spoke while his lips were still against Stiles’ forehead. “That way they’ll always be here with us.”

With a soft sniffle, Stiles wiped at his eyes and nodded. “Thank you.” He tipped his head back so that he could smile up at Derek again, this time his smile was a peaceful one. “I also...I found a picture of Allison and one with Aiden in it as well. Well, it has him AND Ethan in it, but I figured that wasn’t a problem, right?” Looking to Derek for reassurance, Stiles sagged a bit in relief when Derek nodded. “There are no real rules for this, Stiles. The only real rule is that we honour those we cared for that are lost to us.” Derek led Stiles back over to the snow covered altar and helped him set out the pictures; Peter joined them when he saw that Derek was putting out the pictures of the members of the Hale family that were no longer with them. **_“It looks like we’re going to have to make a larger altar for next year if we keep adding things for each person.”_ ** Peter commented as he added a few pictures of his own. 

**_“Much bigger and it’s going to start looking like the ofrenda we had back at home for_ ** **_Día de Muertos. Well, it’ll start looking like a very bare ofrenda anyway.”_ ** Valentina, one of the newer wolves to join the pack in the last two years, commented as she added pictures and candles of her own. “I read about that tradition, it’s beautiful.” Stiles said as he leaned more solidly against Derek. “Would you be willing to teach us about it, teach the pack? I know we’re a hodge-podge of beliefs and everything, but it would be nice if we could find ways to celebrate and respect everyone’s holidays.” Stiles blushed when Derek chuckled softly, the sound echoed by Valentina as she nodded. **_“I’d like that. I don’t miss much about my past, but celebrating my family and my heritage is important to me. But, we’ll leave that until after this week. This week we focus on our own pack traditions, which are just as important.”_ **Stiles smiled brighter and nodded in response. “Thank you!” He tugged Valentina in for a quick hug before they were pulling back and everyone was growing quiet as the sun started to dip in the horizon. 

Glancing around at the pack all gathered together, Stiles felt a sense of calm and peace that he always attributed to his pack, his family. Melissa was safe and happy, tucked back into Peter’s arms as they watched the horizon. Erica, Boyd and Isaac were standing close to himself and Derek, each of them wrapped together with the others; Erica and Boyd both fiercely protective of Isaac, who had turned into a confident and amazing soul with the support of his polycule and his pack. In return he brought care and gentleness to temper Erica’s sharp edges and laughter to Boyd’s stoicism. Valentina stood near them as well, smiling and growing more and more at ease with herself and her wolf every day. Charlie and Ella, well they had their three little ones wrapped up in blankets on their hips, answering their every question with ease and openness. 

The further around Stiles looked, the more of his pack he saw; it had grown so amazingly over the years. Each and every person bringing something unique and beautiful to their family and Stiles was immensely grateful for each and every one of them. His eyes were brimming with unshed tears as he snuggled into Derek’s chest and turned to watch as the sun finally started disappearing beneath the horizon line; Derek’s arms wrapping a bit more snuggly around him with one of his hands splayed protectively over Stiles’ baby bump. 

After they watched the last ray of sunlight dip below the horizon, each candle found it’s flame; with everyone softly saying the name of the person lost to them. Each candle placed on the altar so that it had it’s very own aura of light; it would stay lit as they gathered around the fire pit and exchanged stories until the sun came up again. The kids would try to stay awake, all of them, but there was no doubt that they would end up crashing some time through the night. Not that Stiles was sure he’d be able to make it through the full night this year, not with how tired he had been so far throughout the pregnancy. All and all, the start to Snow Week was full of varying levels of joy tempered with the sadness that came with missing someone; just as it was every year. 

\---------------------------------------

The adults of the pack made sure that the pups of the pack refrained from waking Stiles up too early after that night; he hadn’t been able to make it the full night as he had guessed and Derek had carefully lifted him into his arms to carry him to bed when Stiles started falling asleep against his chest. He had woken enough to put up a token protest but the rest of the pack had also shushed him and told him he needed sleep; perhaps it wasn’t just Derek that was over protective. 

To keep the pups busy, Charlie and a few of the other men in the pack decided it was time to start making the forts for the big snowball fight; it would easily keep the pups entertained for a few hours while also getting them excited for the game to come. So, when Stiles and Derek made their way down the stairs and into the kitchen around ten in the morning, the kitchen was quiet. Though echoes of the laughter from outside could be heard easily. And on the stove the maple syrup was already starting to be brought up to a boil with Ella keeping a close eye on it.  
  
**_“Morning, you two. Coffee is ready, decaf for you.”_ **She gave Stiles a pointed look even before he could take a step towards the regular coffee instead of the decaf pot they all made for him. “Rude.” Stiles muttered with a pout as he pulled out his mug and handed Derek his own mug so that he could have his usual cup of black coffee. “Be nice to Ella, her and the others are all just looking out for you and our pup.” Derek brushed his cheek against Stiles’ temple after both of their coffees were made. “I know, I know. I just miss coffee.” Stiles pouted up at Derek before he sighed and turned to Ella. “Thank you, Ella.” His words earned him a soft chuckle and a smile. “Syrup is almost all done, so if you want to help with the snow candy you’ll want to put some boots on. Snow has been falling non-stop since it started yesterday, we have a good amount already accumulated.” 

Stiles made a happy noise as he practically vibrated with excitement so much that he had to put his coffee mug down. “Yes!” Derek laughed as he watched Stiles already moving to the back door and pulling on an oversized pair of rain boots. “Come on!” Stiles practically whined, his excitement a palpable thing. “Go on, we’ll meet you out there. I’m going to help Ella bring out the syrup.” Derek trusted the pack to keep Stiles safe, and Derek would be able to see Stiles through the window so he could keep his wolf assured that their mate was safe that way as well. He chuckled as Stiles carefully skipped outside to start making designs in the snow with Melissa and the kids to pour the syrup into. **_“He’s as excitable as the pups are every year.”_ **Valentina said as she came into the kitchen just seconds before Stiles was out the door. 

“He is, it’s the fact that this has become a pack/family tradition, I think. That it’s something he gets to do with all of us; a celebration that no one is alone and left behind.” Derek sighed as he moved to the stove to help get the syrup ready to go outside. Valentina and Ella moved to hold the door open for him and to keep any of the pups out of his way while he carried the large cast iron pot full of molten syrup. 

**_“Out of the way, you little heathens!”_ ** Erica called as she scooped up a couple of the kids before they could run into Derek. **_“If you want candy you have to wait until it’s cool enough to eat. Your papas would take a chunk out of us all if you got hurt on hot candy.”_ ** She managed to hold onto the squirming kids, along with Boyd and Isaac helping to wrangle the majority of them until they were sure that the syrup that Derek, Melissa and Stiles poured into the snow had cooled enough for little fingers to touch. **_“Alright, make way for the stampede!”_ **Erica called teasingly as she and the two men let go of the kids, letting them all rush forward to each grab a piece of the snow candy for themselves. 

Derek laughed before he was leaning over them all to snag a relatively large piece of the candy to share with Stiles; winding his way around the excited pups until he could wrap his arms around Stiles and hold him to him once more. “I managed to scavenge a piece from the masses for you, all I require for the candy is a kiss and a small piece.” Derek whispered against Stiles’ ear, a happy rumble vibrating from him when Stiles turned in his arms and rose up onto his toes to give him a kiss. “You’re lucky I love you, withholding sugar from your pregnant mate. That’s punishable by a sex ban.” Stiles teased him as he plucked the candy from Derek’s hand, breaking off a piece and pressing it to Derek’s lips. “Can’t have that, now can we?” Stiles asked with a smirk as Derek’s lips parted and he nipped the candy from his fingers. 

“You need to behave, there are pups present.” Derek growled playfully, leaning forward to nip at Stiles’ neck before going back to just holding Stiles closely. “We can go upstairs if you feel like misbehaving.” Stiles grinned up at Derek as he popped the rest of the candy into his own mouth, taking his time to chew and swallow before speaking again. “Then I suggest we go upstairs.” Derek growled playfully when he scooped Stiles up into his arms and carried him back into the house; followed by the good natured cat calls of the adults in the pack. 

\---------------------------------------

Peter walked into the family room and grinned when he found Derek sitting in one of the chairs with a book open in his lap but not actually reading it. **_“I take it you were told to stay home too? Ordered, rather?”_ ** Derek let out a huff as he turned to glare at Peter. “Yes. Melissa, Valentina and Jennifer all informed me that they were taking Stiles out for a shopping trip on Melissa’s last day with us and that I wasn’t allowed to with them. When I started to argue Melissa pulled the ‘I want some mother son time with my second son’ card.”  
  
Peter winced even as he laughed. **_“That card will get you every single time. He’s safe, though. If Valentina and Jennifer can’t take care of him, I have no doubt that Melissa will. She’s almost as protective of Red as everyone in the pack is. Perhaps it’s a good thing, anyway. Don’t you have a nursery to finish painting? It’s better to get it done while Stiles isn’t in the house to deal with the fumes.”_ **  
  
Derek let out a sign before he nodded and set the book aside. “You’ve got a point. Better to get it done now while Stiles is out. I just hate that he’s not where I can keep him safe. It’s not that I don’t trust the girls, because I do-” 

**_“But Stiles is pregnant and your mate and that has your wolf on edge whenever he isn’t within sight. I know, your father was the same way every time Talia was pregnant with you kids. Go paint the nursery, it’ll give you something to distract you while also doing something that helps provide for Stiles and the pup. That’ll help settle your wolf some.”_ ** **_  
_ ** **_  
_ **Derek blinked a few times at Peter, the casual mention of his parents always threw him off, even after all this time; at least it didn’t steal the air out of his lungs like it had before they left Beacon Hills. “Right. Thank you, Peter.” He spoke as he got up, squeezing Peter’s shoulder as he walked by him to head up to the room adjacent to his and Stiles’. 

Peter was right, not that Derek would ever admit that to his Uncle; Peter may have changed but he still had his moments where he could be a smug bastard if he was right and Derek didn’t need to feed into that ego. Even if he did love his Uncle. When Erica came storming into the room, with Boyd and Isaac trying to stop her, Derek had already gotten over half of the nursery painted; so he decided to take a break and figure out what had enraged the she-wolf. “What’s wrong?” He asked her as she shook off Boyd’s hands. 

**_“Why didn’t we get to go with Peter when he ‘handled’ Scott?!”_ **Erica glowered at Derek so hard that for a moment the only response that Derek gave was a raised eyebrow, letting her seethe for a few seconds before he spoke. “Because Peter took it upon himself to go ‘handle’ Scott, as you say. I knew he was going out of town to deal with another pack, but I apparently didn’t ask enough questions. What about this has you upset?” 

**_“He didn’t handle Scott, that’s what! Scott didn’t even know that Peter was there! Peter didn’t even break his kneecaps, he said he just talked to some of Fuckface’s pack and got them to leave. That’s not right, Derek! He put Stiles through so much shit, I’m going to make him regret his life choices.”_ **Erica growled, her own eyes flashing a bit in her anger; Boyd and Isaac moving to each touch her in the hopes it would help her calm down just a bit. 

“Erica, you aren’t going to Beacon Hills to do anything to Scott.” Derek said as he tried to also help lower the tension in the room. “I know you’re upset, but Peter is playing the long game. He told you what he did, didn’t he? He stripped Scott of almost every single source of support and help that he had. Scott is going to feel every second of what Stiles felt.”  
  
**_“No, he’s not! Derek, you know McCall. He’s dense as a fucking rock! If the point isn’t beaten into him, then he doesn’t learn the lesson. And you know it! If you and Peter aren’t going to make him realize that he’s getting punished for the shit he pulled, then I will.”_ ** Though Erica was still fuming, at least she had regained her composure enough that she wasn’t flashing her eyes at Derek. Derek took that as a good sign, at least. “No, you aren’t.” **_“You want to make a bet? We’re going. Whether you like it or not.”_ **The sigh that Derek let out was one of exasperation at the sheer stubborn will Erica possessed. “Don’t make me order you to stay, Erica. You can’t go up there and kill Scott. It would break Melissa’s heart and you would bring trouble back onto the entire pack.” 

Erica growled softly at Derek’s words. **_“You aren’t that Alpha, Derek. Order me to stay!? That’s the type of shit McFuckface would pull. Do you really want to be just like him?”_ ** Erica could even see the second that her words hit Derek, and she managed to hold back her own wince. **_“I respect you, you’re my friend, family and alpha, but I need to make sure he knows that what’s happening to him is because of the shit he put Stiles through.”_ **

Derek was quiet for a few long moments, letting her words settle in place as he fought back his initial reaction of wanting to growl at her for even suggesting that he could be like Scott. She was right, though. If Derek ordered her to stay away from him, he’d be no better than McCall and that meant he wouldn’t have a right to be the alpha of this pack. Finally Derek let out a soft sigh of resignation. “Alright. But I have a few conditions you have to follow in order to go.” He waited for Erica’s nod before he continued. “Condition one, nothing illegal, I mean it. You can’t kill McCall, even though he deserves it. Peter already put in the effort to make sure his suffering would be a long term game. Condition two, don’t do anything that could bring trouble back here to the pack. You know how long it took us to shake the stigma that came with being a pack from Beacon Hills, I don’t want that to come back onto our pack. We’re in a good place, we don’t want to lose that. Condition three, Isaac and Boyd go with you. I know you, you’ll let your temper flare the second you see him and I trust Boyd and Isaac to help temper that enough that you won’t kill McCall. And finally, condition four, you’re only gone for two days, maximum. Those are my conditions.”  
  
**_“Done!”_ **Erica agreed almost instantly; both Boyd and Isaac nodded as well to show that they would make sure they held true to Derek’s trust in them. “Alright, then. Go on. I’ll see you in two days.” Derek rolled his eyes when Erica kissed his cheek before the three of them were all disappearing out of the nursery. 

“That’s going to end poorly.” Derek muttered to himself as he went back to painting, determined to finish before Stiles and the others got back. 

\---------------------------------------

Stiles laughed as he walked through the store with Melissa, Valentina and Jen; Sienna and Toby had come with them, but they had lost them to the electronics department. “I still can’t believe you all basically told Derek you were kidnapping me and to deal with it.” He was still cackling about it as they made their way over to the Omega maternity department; practically dragging Stiles despite his protests that he was fine just wearing Derek’s clothing as he got bigger. 

**_“Absolutely not, hermanito. I’m sure they’re comfortable enough, but you need things that are yours as well.”_ ** Valentina hummed as she linked her arm through Stiles and brought him over to a selection of shirts. **_“She’s right, Stiles. Besides, you’re going to want to get at least a few things that are soft and comforting. You’d be amazed how many pregnant Omega’s come into the hospital with some severe skin irritation because they didn’t realize their pregnancy would heighten their sensitivity to physical stimuli.”_ **Melissa added, reaching up to pull down a few shirts for Stiles to feel the difference in the textures. 

**_“See? These, compared to what you’re wearing now, will feel like heaven.”_ **Stiles brushed his fingers over the shirts she was holding, marveling at just how soft the fabric felt. “Couldn’t I just use a softener on the clothes we have?” He asked, his cheeks blushing as he started to feel a bit self-conscious about the possibility of spending money on himself. Despite the constant reassurances from Derek and the pack, Stiles still had a mindset that made it easier for him to spoil others as opposed to indulging in things for himself; it was something he had dealt with well before his mother had passed away. 

Melissa gave Stiles a soft, understanding, smile and shook her head while Jen wrapped her arms around Stiles to tug him into a hug as she spoke. **_“No, sweetie. We’ll pick up some special softener to help make sure these stay as soft as they are, but let us spoil you and this little one.”_ ** Stiles knew that Jen understood how he felt about people spending money on him; she came from a pack that had an abusive Alpha that refused to allow any of his people to spend their money on anything that wasn’t for him. **_“It’s okay to let us spoil you two just a little bit. I promise, no one will be upset.”_ **Jen’s words helped soothe some of Stiles concerns; enough so that he nodded a bit. “Okay.” 

That one word caused a smile to break out on each of the women's faces just before they were each vollying for his attention while they were bringing things to him; earning them more soft laughter from Stiles. “You’re all insane, you know that?” His words were affectionate as they helped him pick out the clothes. 

Valentina grinned as she linked her arm with Stiles once he started refusing to pick out any more shirts; stating that six was enough. **_“Well, if we’re done here, I have another store we need to go to.”_ ** The smirk that she had on her face made Stiles nervous. “What did you have planned, Val?” His words were only met with a bigger grin and a chuckle. **_“Don’t worry, nothing bad.”_ ** Stiles could only hum in response as they led him through the store. **_“Here we go!”_ ** Stiles let out a shocked laugh, a blush covering his cheeks as he found himself in front of the adults only section part of the store. “You brought me here for…what? I’m not wearing edible panties, Val.” **_“No, not those! Look!!”_ ** She reached out and grabbed a box from the shelf and handed it to Stiles. “Edible body paint…oooooh.” Stiles’ eyes got a little wider as he thought of all the things he and Derek could do with the paint. “Okay, I’m definitely getting this.” Val smirked again. **_“I thought it would be right up your alley, hermanito.”_ ** Stiles rolled his eyes at Val, though the motion was more affectionate than anything exasperated, and he let her help pick out a few different flavors and some sensory toys that he had a feeling would feel good if his skin started to get as sensitive as Melissa mentioned. 

**_“Alright, ladies, let’s hit the baby section. I want to spoil my grandchild.”_ ** Melissa said as she smiled, practically bouncing on her toes with her own excitement. “Mel, you know you don’t have to.” Stiles’ protested, threading an arm through hers and chewing on his bottom lip. **_“Don’t you start with that. This little one is going to be spoiled, so you’re going to have to accept that.”_ ** Melissa chided him as she continued leading the way through the store towards the baby section. “I know, it’s just...it’s expensive.” He looked around at the furniture as they started going through the isles. **_“Honey, I don’t want you thinking of the price tags right now. I want to do this. Let me do this.”_ ** When Melissa wrapped him into a hug he finally capitulated with a nod. “Okay, but no going crazy, please?” Melissa chuckled. **_“I’ll do my best, but I make no promises.”_ **

\---------------------------------------

Derek was ready to vibrate out of his own skin by the time he heard the car pulling down the long driveway to the pack house; he was out the door and down the front stairs to help Stiles out of the vehicle before Jen had even turned off the engine. “You okay?” Derek asked as he wrapped Stiles into his arms; earning a soft chuckle from the shorter man. “I’m fine, promise. Everyone took great care of us.” Stiles laid his hand against the side of Derek’s neck, letting his mate feel that he and their pup were there and that they were both just fine. 

**_“Oi, Jefe! Did you really think we wouldn’t take care of him? That’s just rude.”_ **Valentina huffed as she climbed out of the back of the SUV, followed quickly by Melissa and Toby; Jen and Sienna both getting out of the other side. Stiles chuckled again when Derek’s mouth sort of gaped open as if he wanted to argue with her but wasn’t sure how to explain it. “Don’t pick on him, Val. He’s protective, you can’t blame him for that. It’s our first pup, it’s expected.” Stiles took Derek’s hand, lacing their fingers together and leading the way to the back of the vehicle. 

“We sort of got a bunch of stuff, I hope that’s okay?” Another blush colored Stiles cheeks as he pulled open the back and started reaching for some of their purchases to unload them; barely getting so far as pulling a bag towards them when he heard several different huffs and growls. “Don’t you dare, we have an entire pack that can help unload.” Derek said as he tugged Stiles a little ways back from the car, making room for Jen and Toby to start pulling things out while Val went into the house to call for the others to help them unload. 

“I’m not going to break just because I lift a few bags, Der.” Stiles chided as he tipped his head back so that he could look up at Derek. “I know you aren’t going to break. But like you said, I’m protective, so just…let us do that, okay? Please?” Stiles let out a sigh of his own before he was letting his head fall back against Derek’s shoulder. “Fine, but just for that you’re making me some grilled cheese sandwiches.” Derek laughed softly as he caught sight of the pout that was taking over Stiles’ features. “I can do that. While I get lunch ready, you can tell me what it is you six bought.” Melissa chuckled as she grabbed a few bags before the pack was shooing her away with orders to go relax. **_“The quick answer? Half the store.”_ ** She teased as the three of them went inside to get lunch ready for everyone.

Stiles huffed as he sat down into one of the stools at the island in the kitchen, rolling his eyes. “No matter how much I said it wasn’t needed, certain women decided that they were going to buy out half of the baby department.” Melissa shrugged as innocently as she could while she sat the bags she had been carrying on the table before joining him at the island; staying out of Derek’s way as he started moving around the kitchen. “That so?” Derek asked Melissa as he looked over his shoulder at her, earning a grin from the woman. 

**_“It wasn’t half the baby department. I wanted to do something to spoil my grandchild, is that so bad?”_ ** Melissa accepted the glass of lemonade that Derek held out for her as he walked by. “No, I suppose it isn’t.” Derek acquiesced, setting a glass in front of Stiles as well. **_“Thank you.”_ **Melissa stuck her tongue out at Stiles, getting her laughter from both the men. “Go on, tell him what you got us.” Stiles said with a roll of his eyes, giving up on arguing with her over the fact that she shouldn’t have.

**_“I wanted to get things that I knew you would all need for a while. A bassinet for your bedroom, a glider for the nursery, and several bottles that the hospital recommends using.”_ **Melissa shrugged a shoulder once more as she sipped her lemonade, ignoring the furrowed brows that Derek gave her. “As well as several sensory toys and outfits for easily the first year of our little one’s life.” Stiles added, earning him an eye roll from Melissa but Derek just shook his head and chuckled. “Well, you didn’t have to, but thank you.” 

**_“I know I didn’t have to, I wanted to. I know that you could afford it all, but I want to help. Stiles is my son, maybe not by blood but that doesn’t change anything. And you know full well, Stiles, that if your dad was here he’d have already made sure to buy the entire store just to make sure that little one was spoiled rotten. I’m merely helping him fulfill some of that since he can’t.”_ ** Melissa’s words softened as she mentioned Noah, wrapping an arm around Stiles to hug him when tears welled in his eyes. “I know…” She hugged him closer when she heard the slight waver in his voice, her hands rubbing his back as she gave him the comfort he wanted and needed. “Thank you.” Stiles whispered when he finally pulled back. **_“You never have to thank me, Stiles. That’s what family is all about; love and support.”_ **

Derek’s smile softened as he watched the interaction between the two for a few moments before he was sliding plates with food on them in front of the two of them. “Even still, thank you Melissa. For all the love and support you’ve always offered us.” Derek added, coming around the island to hold them both as he saw tears welling up in Melissa’s eyes as well; letting her know without words that they were both there for her no matter what. 

\---------------------------------------

The flight and subsequent drive to Beacon Hills was so much longer than Erica remembered it being, though she might have had to concede to Boyd’s point that she was just anxious to get there and it was making the journey there feel longer than it really was. And it didn’t get any better when Isaac had insisted they settle into the loft before they did anything else; causing Erica to growl in irritation but agree none-the-less.

_“Don’t worry, E. Scott isn’t going anywhere and it’ll be better if we confront him with level heads instead of letting our anger get the better of us.”_ Isaac spoke as he set two of their bags onto the couch that was still there, raising an eyebrow at her when she shook her head. “No, I’m not sitting around some hotel room to ‘cool down’. There’s no cooling down from this one. So, set the shit down and let’s go.” Before either Boyd or Isaac could stop her, Erica was stomping back out of the loft and down the stairs. 

**_“So much for calm and level heads.”_ ** Boyd said with a grin as he motioned for Isaac to walk through the door first, so Boyd could lock up behind them. Isaac sighed and leaned into Boyd as they made their way out of the building after Erica. _“Fine, let’s get this over with, make sure she doesn’t kill him, and then we can all come back to the loft and blow off some steam in a much more acceptable way.”_ Isaac’s words pulled a faint chuckle from Boyd as they finally caught up with Erica as she was climbing back into the rental. 

The drive through town was quick, it wasn’t like Beacon Hills was that large, and they eventually found Scott getting off his bike by the side of the preserve; Boyd pulled over behind him, getting a shocked look from the other man when he realized who was climbing out of the car. 

**_“Erica? What are you- Boyd, Isaac? What are you three doing here?”_ ** At least Scott had the brains to sound nervous, Erica thought, as she slowly stalked towards him; not waiting for Isaac and Boyd to catch up to her. “Well you see, McCall, when someone fucks with a member of your pack, the proper thing to do is to take them out so that they can’t hurt them ever again.” She snarled as she continued to stalk towards him, her movements causing him to unconsciously back further into the preserve. **_“What are you talking about? I didn’t even know you had a pack. Last I heard you had run off with Derek. I’ve never been near anyone in your pack!”_ **

Scott’s voice held an edge of wobble to it as he tried to maintain his calm in the face of the angry she-wolf; that was until he found his back hitting a tree, causing him to stumble and giving Erica just the moment she wanted. It took little to no effort for Erica to quickly lunge at Scott; grabbing him by the neck and pinning him back against the tree that had tripped him up. “No? That’s where you’re wrong. Let me clear everything up for you.” She growled loudly in his face before pulling back just enough to land a solid punch to his jaw. “Several years ago, you decided to turn your back on the friend you claimed was your brother.” Boyd and Isaac held back just far enough to give Erica a little room but close enough to make sure she didn’t kill him or that Scott couldn’t hurt her as well by fighting back as she punctuated every point she made with a fist to his body in some way, shape or form. Not giving Scott any time to argue her words. “You abandoned Stiles when he needed you most, you decided that he wasn’t worth your time or your protection, kicking him out of your pathetic excuse for a pack before finally telling him that everything that happened here was his fault.” 

A suckerpunch to Scott’s gut took away his breath before she continued verbally ripping into him. 

“As if all of the shit that happened here was his fault. He dove into that ritual, WITH YOU, to try and save all of your parents. Not just his own, but your mother and Allison’s father as well. And how did you thank him? By blaming him for the shit that the demon possessing his body did. Did you even stop, for one second, and think that he might have already blamed himself?” 

By this point, Scott’s eyes were glowing fiercely and he was clawing at the grip Erica had on his throat. With a growl, Erica drilled her knee into Scott’s balls, causing both Isaac and Boyd to wince in almost sympathy. The pain caused Scott to growl loudly himself, which had Boyd and Isaac stepping up on either side of him to each snarl protectively. 

“No, you didn’t think about anyone but yourself, did you? Otherwise you wouldn’t have pushed Stiles to the point of breaking. But I guess we should thank you for that, because if you hadn’t Stiles wouldn’t have found his way home to us, to his true family. Where everyone loves and protects him. Unlike you and your lack of a pack. And that’s what you get, you fucker. Everyone within a hundred mile radius, every single pack, knows exactly the type of alpha you are; you’ll never receive any help from any of them. You’re alone, just like you made Stiles feel. You’ll always be alone; you’ll fucking die alone. Because you aren’t worth the effort it would require for anyone to actually love.” 

With one last punch, this one an impressive right hook, Scott groaned and slumped to the ground when she let him go; Boyd and Isaac flanking her as she turned to leave Scott in the dirt. She only stopped once when she opened the door to the rental to deliver one last blow. “You never deserved to have Stiles in your life. You barely deserve to keep breathing. You stay the fuck away from our pack, or it won’t just be me coming back here to kick your ass.” 

Before Scott could even gather himself enough to drag himself up off of the ground again, that knock to his head having caused the world to spin, Erica, Boyd and Isaac were all back in the car and on the road; heading back towards the loft. Isaac leaned forward between the front seats and pressed a kiss to the top of Erica’s shoulder. _“We’re proud of you. I know how much it took to keep from ripping his head clean off his shoulders. I’m proud of you.”_ He said softly, brushing their cheeks together as Boyd held his hand out to lace his fingers with Erica’s in silent agreement with Isaac. “Love you.” She said softly, her head falling back against the headrest. **_“We love you too. Let’s head back to the loft.”_ ** Boyd hummed as his thumb brushed over Erica’s knuckles; Isaac nodded eagerly between them. _“Yes, let’s. I want to show our girl just how proud she made us.”_ Erica’s faint blush was all Boyd needed to agree heartily with Isaac and for him to press ever so slightly harder on the gas pedal. 

\--------------------------------------

Bringing Melissa to the airport for her flight back home was bitter sweet; Stiles knew that she had to go home to work, that she still had a life in Beacon Hills, but that she would be back before their little one showed up. She had promised. Leaving her at the gate was a chaotic mess of hugs, kisses, tears and promises to see/call soon; and even then Stiles couldn’t quite get himself to walk away from the gate until the plane pulled out of the terminal. Only then did he allow Derek to lead him away by the arm wrapped around his waist. 

“She’ll be back soon, you know she will.” Derek soothed, his fingers tracing absent patterns along Stiles’ side as he led the way. “I know. I know it’s selfish, but I wish we could convince her to move here with us. I know she can’t leave…him…but I’m so worried that she isn’t being taken care of there. We all know how stupidly oblivious he is and she’d work herself to death if you let her. I worry about her. And I worry about Peter.” Stiles’ voice softened as he watched the way Peter seemed lost in his own thoughts as he walked out of the airport with them. “I can see how much he loves her, he’s lighter when she’s here. Like he doesn’t have to worry about her quite as much as he does when she’s there.” 

Stiles let out a sigh and leaned heavily into Derek’s side, letting Derek hold the majority of his weight. “I’m okay, just feeling a little mopey.” Stiles shrugged a shoulder before Derek was holding the passenger door open for him on the Camaro. “I think I might have a fix for that.” Derek closed the door once Stiles was settled, climbing into the driver’s seat to get them back on the road to the house; hiding his smirk as Stiles stared at him expectantly for several long moments before he broke the silence. “Well!?” “Well, what?” Derek asked, doing his best to feign innocence as he spoke. “Don’t you ‘well, what’ me! You said you had a fix for me being mopey. Are you going to tell me what you’re planning or not?” The pout that Stiles had directed at Derek was impressive, for sure, but he knew that surprising Stiles would be fun as well. “You’ll see.”  
  
“No fair.” Stiles huffed as he crossed his arms over his chest and sunk down into the seat, pouting some more. Derek chuckled and kept driving, noting how Stiles perked up when Derek took a turn that would take them into the nearby town instead of directly back to the pack house. The further into town that Derek took them, the more excitement seemed to roll off of Stiles in waves. When Derek pulled into the driveway for their favorite ice cream shop, Stiles was bouncing so much in the seat that Derek was worried that he’d pop the pup out prematurely. “Easy, love. We don’t need you going into labor early.” Derek teased, earning him a fleeting glare from Stiles for that. “You can’t bring me to ice cream heaven and then expect me not to be excited.” He stuck his tongue out at Derek, waiting impatiently for Derek to park and turn the car off before he was getting out of the car as quickly as he could. Derek laughed quietly as he followed after Stiles, wrapping himself around Stiles protectively as they waited in line to place their order. 

Several minutes later, Derek was setting the largest banana split he had ever seen on the table in front of Stiles before sitting down next to him, holding out one of two spoons for him to take. “Here we go, the ‘banana boat bucket’. Twelve scoops of ice cream, all split between Chocolate, Strawberry, Banana, Pistachio and Black Cherry, topped with fudge, pineapples, walnuts, banana pieces, gummy bears, enough whipped cream to drown a small child in and exactly three cherries.” He recited Stiles’ ridiculously complicated order back to him as Stiles was taking the first bite and groaning almost so graphically it could have been considered inappropriate had anyone else heard. “It’s so good!” Stiles practically danced in his seat as he happily worked his way through one side of the massive amount of ice cream while Derek tackled the other side. 

By the time they were done, the sun had set and Stiles was so full he could barely move; he didn’t even put up a protest when Derek simply lifted him into his arms and then carried him back to the car. “Thank you, Der.” He said softly as he curled up into the seat as best he could. “For you, the world, love.” Derek kissed his forehead before he was buckling him in and closing the door. Stiles was already half asleep by the time Derek rounded the car and climbed in; and already softly snoring by the time they were halfway back to the house. 

\---------------------------------------

It was only a matter of time after Isaac, Erica and Boyd returned before Stiles figured out where it was they had gone. None of them told him, but he had a feeling deep in his gut that wouldn’t leave him alone for a few months before an email from Scott, which he deleted without reading, showed up in his inbox and it all finally clicked. And he was angry. 

Seeing a seven month pregnant omega angrily stomping anywhere was almost adorably funny unless it was you they were walking straight at; and the sight was enough to make even Erica swallow. “What. The Fuck. Did. You. Three. Do?!” He demanded as he stood in front of them, his hands firmly on his hips as anger rolled off of him. Erica swallowed again before she looked at Boyd then Isaac before looking back to Stiles. “Um...we’re sorry?” She offered, knowing that saying anything else was liable to piss Stiles off even further. 

The apology seemed to take some of the wind out of Stiles’ sails, enough that he was able to sit down in front of them, but not so much that he couldn’t retain his anger. “Why would you go there? Why would you even bother seeking him out? It’s been over five years. He doesn’t have any right to space in our lives anymore; physically or otherwise. So, tell me, why?”  
  
Isaac chewed on his lip before he spoke up. **_“He hurt you, yes, but it’s more than that. Scott-”_ ** Isaac hesitated when Stiles just barely flinched at Scott’s name. **_“-he shouldn’t be an alpha. After everything he did, even before he hurt you, he shouldn’t have become an alpha. So, yes we went there for you, initially, but we also went there because we needed him to know that he didn’t deserve the title of Alpha.”_ ** Isaac leaned against Boyd as the quiet man wrapped an arm around him. _“He’s right, Stiles. Him hurting you was the straw that broke the camel’s back. He is so oblivious, however, that he wouldn’t know he was wrong unless it hit him over the head.”_ Boyd added, his hand running down Isaac’s side slowly. “Multiple times.” Erica added under her breath. 

Stiles let out a groan of his own and dropped his head into his hands; his fingers scratching at his scalp before he was finally lifting his head again to speak. “I can’t-....no more, do you understand me? You went, you did whatever it was that you needed to do, but that’s done now. He has no place in our lives. None. The only way he can cause any more problems for us is if we let him live in our heads and I will not let that happen. So, no more. If I find out you’ve gone back there to have anything to do with him again, unless absolutely necessary, I’m going to rip each and every one of you a new one myself. Am I clear?”  
  
Isaac and Boyd both nodded while Erica sighed before saying a quiet ‘yes’. 

**_“We didn’t mean to upset you, Stiles, we promise. We’re sorry.”_ **Isaac said once his bottom lip was no longer trapped between his teeth; looking nervously up at Stiles as if afraid to anger him further. Stiles let out a sigh and held his arms open, letting Isaac dive into them for the touch and reassurance that he wasn’t that angry with them any more. “I know you all were just trying to look out for everyone, and I can appreciate the drive to protect our family. But we’re safe now, okay? No more kamikaze missions, okay?” Stiles felt Isaac nod against his shoulder and saw both Boyd and Erica to nod their agreement as well. “Good. Now, let’s go get some food, hmm?” Isaac laughed softly and shook his head. “Come on, we can’t have you hungry. Derek would kick our asses.” He got up and the three of them walked with Stiles into the kitchen. 

\---------------------------------------

Later that same day, when the sun had finally set and after the dynamic trio told him everything about their trip, the how, what, when, where and why of it, Stiles was forced to hunt down Peter. They hadn’t told him anything about Peter’s trip there, but they did let slip that it was Peter who had gone to Beacon Hills first and it was what had encouraged their trip. He found him sitting outside on the back patio, the chair he was in reclined so that he could lay back and look up at the stars. It took a bit of work to get comfortable, but when Stiles did he was leaning back into the chair next to him and watching the stars as well. 

_“To what do I owe the pleasure, Red?”_ Peter’s voice was casual but he kept his gaze on the stars. 

Stiles let out a sigh. “I heard you had made a trip to Beacon Hills a little while ago.” Peter hummed in response as he turned his head so that he could look at Stiles. _“Does that make you angry?”_ Stiles shook his head, his hand splaying over his stomach as he did. “Not any more. I had a little time to think about it. I was angry when I found out, initially, but you don’t usually do things without valid reason. At least now, that is.” The corner of Stiles' lips pulled up into a smirk as he teased Peter; the soft chuckle that he got in response caused him to smile brighter. It wasn’t as rare as it had been before moving out of Beacon Hills, but a genuine smile or laugh from Peter had always been hard to come by. Not the snarky abrasive laughter, but the soft laughter that came from a place of care and happiness. 

_“So did you come out here to find out the particulars?”_ Peter asked as he adjusted the seat so that he was no longer reclined, moving to also help Stiles adjust his seat when he sat up too. “No, I don’t think I need to know the specifics. I think I mostly wanted to make sure that you were okay still. And to tell you I told the other three. The only way we can continue to let him hurt us is if we let him continue living in our heads. And I don’t want that here in our new life, in our family. He doesn’t deserve that attention, so I don’t want anyone to even think about him again. Okay?”  
  
Peter looked at Stiles for a few moments with a confused look on his face before he was letting out one of those small chuckles again. _“You’re an enigma, Red, you know that? But if that’s what you want, then it’s something I can easily agree to. However, there IS one part of the trip that you do need to hear about. I was waiting for the right time to bring it up, but since you’re the one bringing up the trip now is as good a time as any.”_  
  
Stiles narrowed his eyes at Peter but motioned for him to continue. _“When you’re ready, we might need to get ourselves a druid to come here and help train you. You see, the Nemeton is dead; not asleep or dormant this time, truly dead. Gone. And the only way for a Nemeton to truly die, to lose its power, is if it gifts that power away. I spoke to Deaton while I was there and he told me that the Nemeton died around the same time that you left.”_ Peter paused to make sure that Stiles was still following him before he continued. _“You said what you did remember of the night you first shifted was that you made it to the Nemeton and found yourself surrounded in light when you crawled onto the stump, do you still remember that?”_ Stiles’ nod was all the encouragement that Peter needed to finish the last of his theory. 

_“I think that on that night, when you went to the Nemeton at your very lowest point, it saw something in you that proved you were worthy of the gift of it’s magic. I think it saw the connection you already had with the earth and used that to help gift you it’s powers as well. As I said, we’ll have to wait until you’re ready to bring someone we trust in that can help you find a way to tap into that power. And, if you’re never ready, that’s alright too.”_

Stiles sat there, blinking at Peter as he tried to absorb everything that he had told him; his brain going over and over the events of that night as he started connecting all the pieces that Peter had given him. He startled a bit when Peter laid a hand on his shoulder. _“Don’t think too hard on it right now, Red. You have all the time in the world. And we’ll all be here with you the whole way through.”_

\---------------------------------------

Just over two months later, at eleven forty six in the evening, after several long hours of screams, swears, Melissa’s arrival and the entire pack anxiously waiting, Derek and Stiles welcomed their little one, Tali Claudia Stilinski-Hale, the world; and boy did she have a set of lungs on her. Even two floors down and through closed doors, each and every pack member in the pack house knew the second she came into the world; that beautiful cry was enough to have all of them up on their feet as they anxiously awaited confirmation that both Stiles and baby were healthy as well as the opportunity to meet the little one. 

The latter would have to wait for the next day, however. When Derek came downstairs he reassured each and every one of them that everyone was perfect and healthy, but that he wanted to give Stiles a chance to rest before he let the pack in to greet the newest member. His words earned him a few grumbling pouts but otherwise they all agreed that they had deserved the rest. 

When Derek went back into their room, he stopped in the door at the sight before him; Stiles was exhausted, he could see how tired he was, but aside from the faint bags under his eyes no one else would have ever noticed. He was propped up against a mountain of pillows and the headboard with Tali in his arms. Stiles was smiling down into the blanket that was swaddled around her and, from where he stood, Derek could make out the mass of black hair peeking out of the blanket along with the hand that was wrapped around Stiles’ finger. Derek knew the thought was cliche, but he could have sworn that Stiles was actually glowing; and Derek knew that that moment was one that he would remember in stark detail until the end of his life. 

Melissa looked up from where she was sitting on the bed beside Stiles and chuckled when she caught sight of Derek; when she stood she leaned over and pressed a kiss to the top of Stiles’ head and then one to the top of Tali’s head as well. **_“I’ll leave you two alone for the night, but I’ll be right down the hall if you need me, okay?”_ ** Stiles smiled up at her and nodded. “Thank you for being here, mom. It means the world to us.” Derek nodded his agreement as he moved to stand by the end of the bed; smiling a bit more when he saw the tears well in Melissa’s eyes. **_“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, honey. You three try and get some sleep, love you.”_ **She gave each of them another kiss on the forehead before she left their room; shutting the door closed quietly behind her with a soft click. 

Stiles chuckled quietly as looked at Derek, still standing at the end of the bed. “Are you going to join us? You’re the only piece of this little puzzle missing right now.” Stiles’ words brought a smile to Derek’s face again and then he was carefully climbing onto the bed to sit with them; moving slowly so that he didn’t jostle either of them. “She’s so tiny.” Derek said as he brushed a finger over her hand with the most gentle touch in the world, barely even letting his skin touch her. Stiles smiled down at her as he nodded. “She is, but she’s strong and she’s healthy.” He looked up at Derek. “Here, you hold her.” Derek paled a bit as he looked down the little bundle of sleeping baby Stiles was holding out to him. 

“She’s tiny, what if I hurt her?” Derek could hear the fear in his voice; Tali hadn’t even been born for an hour and already he knew that he would gladly give his life just to make sure she was safe and happy. Just like he knew he’d destroy anyone who so much as thought about hurting her; which meant he was terrified that he would end up being the one to hurt her. Stiles shook his head and used one hand to help arrange Derek’s arms before putting Tali into them. “You will never hurt her, Der. Just like I know that you’ll never hurt me.” He pressed a kiss to the top of Tali’s head as he looked down at her while snuggled against Derek’s side. “She’s stronger than she looks; and we’ll both be here to make sure she never gets hurt.” 

  
“She’s perfect, so perfect.” Stiles said with a smile; causing Derek to chuckle softly. “She is, just like you.” Derek’s words caused a faint blush to spread across Stiles’ cheeks. “You’re biased.” Derek hummed and shook his head, looking back up at Stiles. “Nope, I love you. There’s a difference.”  
  
Stiles chuckled softly again and rolled his eyes at Derek affectionately. “And I love you too, Der. Always.”


End file.
